


It's About Love II

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: First Times, M/M, Series: Its About Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 04:34:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/794019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Blair, and Jim's spirit guide have a discussion.<br/>This story is a sequel to It's About Love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's About Love II

## It's About Love II

by Claudel

Notes: The first part of this story was posted about four months ago. You can find it at the 852 Prospect or on my friend's website. I have to thank my beloved Kaytee, who betaread this story and made it so much better. I also have to thank LP, who gave a home to my stories and who helped me with the grammar. 

* * *

Jim closed the door of the loft behind him and threw his keys in the basket. He heard a metallic sound when it hit another set of keys, confirming that Blair was home. He already knew it. In the elevator, he had allowed his senses to expand, looking for any signs of his friend. He had automatically isolated the familiar heartbeat among all the other occupants of the building. Even after three years, he still wasn't really sure how he could do this. 

Blair was the only person that he could automatically find just by locating his heartbeat. But he had never told him. He knew it would only provoke another enthusiastic rant about Sentinel senses and possible tests, and he preferred to avoid it. Besides, it was such a silly and romantic thing to say. Under the familiar sound, he had also isolated the soft hum of the laptop, and the enthusiastic clicking of the keyboard. 

The Sentinel smiled just at the sight of Blair sitting at the table, his back to him, his attention completely focused on the small screen. He had untied his hair, and his glasses had slipped down the bridge of his nose, nearly sliding off. He was adorable. 

Jim's smile grew wider when it hit him once again that he could now openly admit his feelings for his friend. He still had trouble believing it. He had wanted this man for so long, convinced that he had absolutely no chance of winning this beautiful, free-spirited guide's heart. 

Blair hadn't made it any easier for Jim, spending a significant portion of his time flirting with women. Then the impossible had happened. Although Jim would have preferred if it had happened without any feline interference, he was infinitely grateful for his spirit guide's push to tell the younger man how much he loved him. 

Jim slowly went to stand behind Blair and looked over his shoulder. He was surfing on the net. Then the younger man twisted his neck to look at him and asked with a grin, a happy light dancing in his eyes: 

"Had a good day, big guy?" 

"Wonderful." 

"Wonderful? Man, you're a cop. No dead bodies, no boring paperwork to fill, no Simon yelling at you?" Blair teased. 

"Well, maybe not that kind of wonderful,"admitted Jim, enjoying the easy banter. "But I was looking forward to returning home." 

Blair raised from the chair and leaned against it, in his typical careless way of treating perfectly innocent pieces of furniture. He folded his arms across his chest. 

"Well, I know it's Friday night, but I don't see what's so extraordinary about that. Unless there's a Jag's game on TV, of course," he added with amusement in his voice. 

"Hum...not that I know. I was simply looking forward to spending the whole weekend with my beautiful, sexy, intelligent lover." 

Jim was delighted to see the impact of his words on his roommate. Blair's eyes widened and he looked so astonished that it was almost comical. 

"You... You... I can't believe you just said that," Blair sputtered. "Who are you, and what have you done with my sentinel?" 

Jim didn't answer and gracefully settled on the sofa, with a smug expression on his face. 

"I can't believe it," Blair continued, who followed and sat beside him, leaving his computer turned on. "Are you the same guy who is specialized in stone-faced expressions and who took two years to tell me he had a brother, and only because we actually ran into said brother? The guy who will never talk about his feelings unless I bug him about it the whole day?" 

"Well, I'm in love, Chief. I often heard love is supposed to transform people." 

Blair shook his head and simply couldn't find an appropriate answer. Almost a week ago they had made their mutual confession, and literally fell into each other's arms. 

When Blair had woken up the following morning, Jim was still cradling him in his arms, and he had opened his eyes as soon as the younger man had moved. They had stared at each other for a very long time without saying a word; then, the alarm had sounded, effectively breaking the spell. They had disentangled from each other and went through their morning routine like nothing had happened. 

Through an unspoken agreement, they had decided to let the subject rest for a while. Not because they had any intention of denying what had happened, but simply because they couldn't make the transition from best friend to lover in the space of one night. 

Besides, the way they had been brought together was a little unusual, to say the least. They both needed time. 

Blair was still thinking about the eerie feeling that he had experienced when he had touched the panther, and he needed time to absorb the experience and regain some order in a world that had been turned upside down. This was even more true for Jim, who simply didn't like to admit that there were such things as spirit guides at all at the first place. 

So, they had simply spent the week as usual, working at the university or at the station. The only noticeable change was that they spent their whole evening together, often sitting in easy silence in front of the television, with Blair grading papers and Jim watching his as much as he was watching the screen. Sometimes they smiled at each other, a smile that said they had a common secret, something wonderful, that would be explored in his own time. 

Apparently, Jim had just decided that such a time had come. 

A flutter of excitement passed through Blair, and he settled more comfortably on the sofa. 

"So, what do we do now?" he asked, still staring at Jim, more than a little unsure. 

"I don't know. What do you want to do?" Jim answered with amusement. 

Blair cocked his head on the side with a speculative look and feigned thinking about it. But his eyes seemed to have a will of their own and started traveling down the body of the man who was facing him. 

Jim was half-sitting, half-laying against the arms of the couch, looking very much like a big cat who was resting. A familiar warmth gathered in Blair's belly, the first stirring of arousal. But it was also unfamiliar, since another man had never been the cause of it before. He should have been scared out of his wits, but strangely, he wasn't. After all, this was Jim, the best friend he ever had, a man he also happened to blindly trust. 

Jim noticed the inspection, and felt strangely pleased of the close attention given to his body. Somehow, he had trouble believing that he could have this kind of effect on the young man, who reacted like a horny teenager every time he saw a woman. But there was no mistaking his present interest. Blair's eyes were focused on him, pupils slightly dilated, warmth radiating from him, his face taking on a sudden dreamy expression. A shudder ran through Jim, and Blair's eyes followed the ripple of muscles under the shirt and on the bare arms. 

Blair slowly extended his hand toward Jim and the older man's breath caught in his throat. Slowly, with a concentration that Sandburg usually reserved to the reading of a particularly complex book, he brushed his fingers against Jim's chest, feeling the almost rough texture of the cotton shirt and the warmth of the body beneath it. Applying the barest pressure, Blair's fingers followed the curve of one breast. Unconsciously, Jim dialed up his sense of touch to better feel it, and he almost moaned aloud when the roaming hand passed over his nipples. Blair felt the little bud tightening under his hand, and he jumped, suddenly realizing what he was doing. For a few seconds, he had felt the urge to touch his love, and he had acted without thinking. 

Suddenly embarrassed, he looked up into the eyes of the other man and blushed. They were both softly panting, the sound of their breathing clearly audible in the silence of the loft. Jim closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, in a vain effort to control himself. He caught the smaller hand that was still resting on his chest, enfolded it in both his, and squeezed it. 

The same thought ran in both their minds: 'God, if we ever really make love, this is going to kill me.' They both started chuckling together, and it bloomed into a real fit of laughter when they asked at the same time to the other what was so funny. 

* * *

Blair was standing at the foot of his bed, a strange mixture of indecision and nervousness on his face. He took a hesitant step toward the french doors, then stopped and twisted a lock of his hair around his finger. He didn't really know what to do. He could hardly go upstairs and nonchalantly ask Jim if he minded sharing his bed tonight. 

They had slept in separate beds the whole week, but Blair was beginning to think this was silly, since they were already living in the same house anyway. They were so close that he could often hear Jim softly snorting upstairs and the ruffle of the sheets when he was moving. Not that he had been paying attention, not at all. Not that he longed to be held in those strong arms and pressed against a hard, muscled chest. 'Who am I kidding,' he thought, exasperated. 

He took another step, but still hesitated. What would happen if Jim said no? It wasn't exactly like he was proposing to do anything more than sleeping... His heartbeat speed up like every time the possibility of actually making love with Jim came to his mind, a wave of apprehension sweeping over him. He had no idea how to properly make love to a man. Sure, he knew the theory, but putting it to practice was a completely different thing. And something was telling him that Jim would not be very helpful in this area, since the guy probably had no more experience than him. At least, he thought so... 

Blair realized that he was still hesitating, not any closer to a decision, and his doubts were coming back to him with full force. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into, and the last thing he wanted was to screw up his friendship with Jim. 

He heard a soft sound in the darkened room, like something brushing against the bed. Blair suddenly turned around, trying vainly to see, wondering when his bedroom had become so dark. He heard another small sound, and he was fairly sure it wasn't his imagination. Suddenly, he noticed this strange shadow in one of the corner... 

Blair flew out of the room so fast that he somehow ended up in Jim's bed without remembering actually climbing the stairs. The other man was already under the sheet, and turned around with an amused expression when he realized that his guide was settling for the night beside him without even asking for his permission. 

"Jim, do you hear something moving downstairs?" Blair asked with the tone of someone who expected to find a monster in his closet. 

Jim strained to listen, but he heard absolutely nothing besides the soft hum of the fridge. "Nope," he answered. 

Jim raised an eyebrow when he noticed that the young man was still staring at the stairs, as he was expecting a psycho with an axe to appear there. 

"Uh, Blair, do you mind telling me what's going on?" 

The younger man turned on his stomach to face him, with a sheepish expression on his face. "I'm sorry I just jumped in your bed." 

Jim smiled, wondering where Sandburg had gotten the idea that it would bother him. In fact, he was delighted to see him there. He had wanted to ask him to sleep with him, but he had not dared to ask. 

Blair threw another nervous glance over his back and muttered, "Damn, what I would not give to have Sentinel senses." 

"What's going on, Sandburg?" Jim patiently asked again. 

"Well, it's stupid, and it makes me feel like I'm five years old again. I just heard a sound, and it scared me." He threw a dirty look at Jim who was biting his lip to stop himself from laughing. 

"Laugh if you want, Jim, but you're not the one who woke up with a panther a few inches from your face a week ago." 

"Don't tell me you're afraid of my spirit guide, Chief." 

"I'm sure I have seen something in the corner of the room, and it was big enough to be this damn, uh, I mean, this nice little cat," Blair answered with some annoyance. "I'm not feeling like dealing with another apparition right now. In case you didn't notice, I also happen to be a scientist, not just a guy who is into weird stuff," he said, punctuating his words with his usual arm movements. 

Jim noticed for the first time that the younger man was only wearing boxers, which surprised him, since he was not used to seeing Blair like this. Jim drank in the sight of the furry chest and the strong shoulders, while trying not to be too obvious about it. 

"Blair, are you going to sleep or do you plan on watching the stairs the whole night?" he asked in an effort to distract himself and the other man. 

Blair shot him another annoyed look, and then his face took on his patented "scientist at work" look. 

"Jim, what were you thinking about, just five minutes ago?" 

The older man raised his eyebrow. "What kind of question is that? How am I supposed to remember what I was thinking about?" 

"Come on, man, you're not even trying!" 

Jim sighed and tried to remember, since he had the feeling Sandburg wasn't about to let the issue drop, as usual. He caught himself scanning the darkened loft downstairs, looking for something unusual. Blair's nervousness was contagious, and he half expected to see yellow eyes floating somewhere. But of course, there was nothing. 

"I *think* I was wondering if I should ask you to join me," he finally admitted, hoping that he would be spared to give more details. He had forgotten who he was talking to. 

"Hmm...yes, and why didn't you ask me?" Blair pressed. 

Jim rolls his eyes. "What do you think, Darwin? What was I supposed to say? Blair, do you want to sleep with me? I'm sure you would have reacted very well." 

Blair grinned, amused to hear his own insecurities on the other man's lips. "I think my answer would have been more along the lines of 'sure honey, whatever you want.'" 

Jim's gut tightened at those words, the very words he wanted to hear. But Blair wasn't serious, he couldn't be. The older man was suddenly extremely tempted to smack his guide on the head with a pillow. "That's not funny, Sandburg. I'm trying to be serious here. " 

Blair immediately sobered. 

"Jim, I was standing in my bedroom, wondering exactly the same thing, and not daring to come up and simply ask you. Probably exactly at the same moment you were thinking this...Oh!" Blair smacked his forehead, wondering how he had managed to miss this. 

"Jim, you are going to promise me something," he asked extremely seriously. 

"Promise what?" asked the other man, who was closely watching him. 

"Next time you want to tell me something, just do it, okay? I know it's not easy for you, but when I said that I love you, I was serious, you know? I'm not going to judge you or freak out and run away. But I'm going to freak out if I'm always afraid that you will send your spirit guide after me." 

"Blair, I still don't buy your theory that I can send him to solve my problems, it doesn't make sense. If that was the case, I would send him in Simon's office at my place", he answered with a very patient tone. 

The younger man chuckled but simply answered: "Believe me, Jim, I can prove my theory anytime I want. " 

Blair dove under the covers and spooned against the other man, who gathered him in his arms. Jim still had a half-smile on his lips when he settled back against his pillow with the warm bundle in his arms. He had no idea what Sandburg was up to this time, and he had absolutely no intention of asking. Daring the man to prove one of his theories was indeed a very dangerous thing to do, giving Blair's tendency to talk everything to death and then make impulsive, sometimes dangerous, attempts to prove his point. Jim wasn't curious at all. No, not in the least. 

After a few minutes of arguing with himself on the dangers of encouraging the younger man when he had one of these ideas in his head, Jim gave into his curiosity. "Hmm...Blair, why do you mean, you can prove this anytime you want?" 

Jim felt the curve of the other man's smile on his shoulder, and a small shiver ran through him. 

"Don't worry, Jim, you'll know soon enough." 

Blair fell asleep shortly after his last sentence, letting Jim puzzling over weird theories and a strange, curly-haired anthropologist. Another important thing was also nagging at him--when would be the proper time to kiss Blair? Should he wait and let the younger man make the first move, or do it himself? 

* * *

When Jim woke up next morning, he automatically checked for his guide, who was no longer laying beside him. His first reaction was to look over the railing in the kitchen. But then he saw Blair and froze, afraid to disturb him. Blair was sitting at the foot of the bed in the lotus position, his hands resting lightly on his knees. His eyes were closed, his mouth slightly opened. Jim could easily see his bare chest moving in time with the deep breaths. He realized for the first time that Blair was truly a vision in bright daylight, with a ray of sun falling directly on his untamed mass of hair, illuminating red highlights. 

Jim leaned back on his elbows and continued to watch, patiently waiting for him to open his eyes. He could tell that Blair was so deep in the meditation that he had become completely oblivious to the outside world. He simply enjoyed the show. Unconsciously, he let his breathing follow the rhythm of the other man. Jim stared at his love's full lips and unshaved cheeks, lazily wondering how it would feel like to kiss him. His breath slightly accelerated at the thought, no longer in sync with Blair's. 

And then Blair opened his eyes. 

In such a bright light, the young man's eyes were almost incandescent, and Jim remained silently staring at him. 

If Blair ever had any doubts that Jim was truly attracted to him, they vanished when he saw the obvious admiration and longing in his lover's face. 'Well, not quite my lover yet,' he mentally corrected himself. But this could very easily be fixed, couldn't it? Blair had to stop himself from simply pouncing on his soon-to-be lover. After all, he had a plan to execute. Instead, he curved his lips into a bewitching smile and said, "Morning." 

"Morning," answered Jim. "Don't you want to come back to bed? You must be cold" 

"Nah, it's alright." 

"Do you always meditate first thing in the morning?" Jim asked curiously. 

"No, not really. But I needed to get myself in the right state of mind," Blair mysteriously answered. 

"Hmm...in the right state of mind for doing what?" cautiously inquired the older man, who was already guessing he would not like the answer. Last night's conversation came back to him, and Jim started to worry in earnest. Please, not another weird new age thing to conjure up a stubborn spirit guide, he prayed. 

"You know, for proving my weird little theory about you sending nice kittens in my bedroom to disturb my sleep," Blair answered with a teasing tone. 

"What about that?" Jim almost groaned in frustration. He knew better that try to stop his friend when he got into "scientist" mode, but Jim would have appreciated being anywhere but here at the loft when Blair started experimenting. He shifted his body until he was also sitting cross-legged, facing Blair. 

"Just turn around, Jim, and you'll understand." 

Jim actually felt a shiver of apprehension running through him. He automatically extended his senses, but couldn't hear anything. However, he had the disturbing feeling that something or someone was staring at him. He looked behind him, in the small space between his back and the railing. His heart skipped a beat, and he gasped. 

The panther. 

He was lying on his side, with his paws resting on the pillow, his long tail almost touching the floor. The golden eyes were on him. Jim would have sworn it had a satisfied smirk on his face, if he had not known that a panther wasn't supposed to be able to imitate a Cheshire cat. 

Jim twisted around, not daring to let the panther out of his sight. Blair had an almost identical expression on his face and was bouncing a little on the bed. Jim remained speechless, and could only stare at the younger man with a look that he hoped conveyed his feelings of utter shock and amazement, with the right amount of annoyance mixed in. 

But Blair didn't offer an explanation. He simply slowly stretched out on his side, in a pretty decent imitation of the big cat, if you considered he had no tail to twitch, and also stared at Jim. The older man began to feel slightly uncomfortable under the amused scrutiny of the two sets of eyes, one yellow and the other blue. 

Jim closed his eyes and seriously wondered if it wasn't time for him to take a nice, long vacation. After all, when you begin to have hallucinations featuring a panther claiming your bed and a young anthropologist also bouncing on said bed, it wasn't a good sign. The only problem would be to convince Simon to give him a few days off, but after all, it was certainly a better reason than the emergence of hyperactive senses. 

"Jim?" 

Blair's voice intruded in his reflections, bringing him back to reality. A very screwed up version of reality, but reality nonetheless. He carefully considered what he should say. 

"Would you mind explaining me what's going on?" he asked with such a calm voice that he surprised himself. 

"I told you I would prove you my theory," Blair answered, looking like a little kid who had managed to discover ahead of time what he was getting for Christmas. 

The panther yawned and stretched languidly, and Jim watched with fascination the ripples of powerful muscles under the black and shiny fur. The older man could feel the bed moving under the cat's considerable weight. Oddly enough, it made him feel better. Panthers are wild animals and very efficient killers. Any competent zoologist could have told him that they don't usually spend Saturday morning lazing around in someone's bedroom. Conclusion: It wasn't really a panther. Maybe spirit guides simply choose whatever aspect was the more convenient at the moment. Maybe it was simply a spirit who happened to like cats, Jim's logical mind concluded as the tried to absorb what was happening before him. 

"I thought your theory was I had subconsciously called upon him to fulfill my forbidden desires, Sandburg," Jim finally answered sarcastically. 

"Well, yes, but that would be a little difficult to prove, wouldn't it? I did consider handcuffing you to the railing and dare you to catch me, but I concluded it wasn't a very good idea," hastily added Blair when he noticed the change in the sentinel's expression. 

"That was very smart of you, Darwin," Jim answered with a very dangerous tone. "I would not be in a very good mood." 

"You mean you would never let me tie you to the bed? Even just for the fun of it?" Blair asked with laughter in his voice. 

Jim rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling, in the direction of any god who could take care of Sentinel suffering abuse from their guide. It was time to bring Blair back to reality. 

"What I want to know is what this thing," he said, pointing at the panther who was currently busy sniffing the pillows, "is doing here?" 

"Look, man, I have been thinking about this. I mean, once I picked my jaw from the floor, I tried to think about it rationally. I had assumed he was linked to your senses because he appeared at the times you repressed them. He came to you because a part of you acknowledged the fact that you badly needed help. And when I told you I was going to leave, you sent him after me. Last night, it was the same thing. You wanted me there, so the panther was about to appear again, only this time I got the message on time." 

Blair stopped to catch his breath, and Jim had to raise his hand in an appeasing gesture, to halt the rest of the explanation. Blair was in such a hurry to explain his findings that it was hard to follow him. 

Jim stared at his guide, deep into what the Sentinel privately called Blair's teacher mode, analyzing the behavior of spirit guide as if it was a perfectly normal object of study. Jim wondered if this particular subject would make a chapter of Blair's dissertation. He glanced at the panther, who was presently resting with his head on his paws, eyes half-closed, focused on Blair. He seemed to be also interested by the explanation. Jim watched the beast until his brain processed everything the anthropologist had said. 

Jim sighed and looked back at the younger man, letting him know he could continue. 

"This is the part you're not going to easily accept," Blair warned him. 

"Sandburg, I already have trouble accepting this," he said, gesturing toward the panther who followed the movement with his eyes, "and if it gets any weirder, I think my brain is going to explode." 

"Okay, man, but follow my reasoning here," Blair continued with a soothing tone. "The first time you saw the panther, it was when we went to rescue Simon and Daryl in Peru. However, it never appeared to you after the helicopter crash, even when you were trying to get a handle of your senses with Incacha. You had an authentic shaman at your side, and your spirit guide never appeared. You certainly needed help with your senses at the time. So, what has changed?" 

"You're with me now," Jim immediately answered without thinking. 

"Exactly!" Blair bounced a little more on the bed, looking at Jim like a teacher who had obtained a particularly bright answer from a promising student. 

"Are you trying to tell me that you are also responsible of this...phenomenon?" Jim cautiously asked. 

"That's what I was wondering. Because it really seemed odd to me that every time we both really wanted the same thing, the panther would push us in the right direction. I certainly also wanted you to have your sentinel abilities back." 

Jim had a little smile when he remembered how insistent his friend had been at the time. Blair smiled back at him, apparently thinking the same thing. 

"I believe it's a creation of both of us," he continued. "This morning, I tried to meditate, just to check if I could not bring him back by myself." 

Jim raised an eyebrow at this. 

"Well, okay, I didn't expect it to work at all, but it was worth a try, right?" 

"Only you, Sandburg, could come up with such strange ideas and manage to make them sound almost sane." 

"I'll admit it worked a lot better that I hoped for," Blair grinned. 

Jim noticed that even in his current hyperactive mood, satisfaction oozing from him, the young man was still looking somewhat nervously at the panther. He had to admit himself if wasn't crazy about the situation. The fact that he was discussing spirit guides while a big panther was lazing on his bed somewhat hurt his sense of order. That was the understatement of the year. 

Blair's obvious satisfaction at having solved this mystery made his eyes brighter and an irrepressible energy was emitting from him. Jim had the sudden desire to lean over and kiss him senseless. But the detective's mind focused on the element that didn't make sense in this explanation. Well, as long as you accepted the rest of it, of course. 

"And you wanted to be dragged out of your bed? Chief, I really don't think so..." 

"Well, okay, not exactly," Blair conceded. "I would have preferred an easier way. Honestly, the last thing I really wanted to do at the time was to leave you. But it was so complicated..." 

Blair paused and rubbed his forehead. He didn't seem to have any intention of continuing. 

"I didn't want you to leave. You know that. I'm glad you're still here," Jim told him rather awkwardly. 

He was rewarded by the bright smile of his love. 

"I didn't dare to tell you I was in love with you," Blair softly added. "But part of me really wished I could simply tell you. I don't think I have ever been so close to another human being before you. It hurt not to be able to talk to you." 

His voice faltered and a shadow crossed his face, like he was remembering a particularly painful memory. Jim couldn't resist, dropping on his knees in front of Blair and gathering him in his arms in a fierce embrace. He felt the other man's arm wrapped around his waist, holding him with equal strength. The curly head came to rest on his chest, just over his heart. He wondered if Blair could hear his wild heartbeat. 

Jim had stopped paying attention to the animal, but he tensed up when he heard the ruffle of the sheets and twisted around, still cradling Blair in his arm, instinctively trying to shield him with his body. He felt the younger man's hand painfully grasp his shoulder. He only had the time to realize the panther had stood up, and then he stared at the yellow eyes when the panther pounced on them. 

And jumped inside them. Inside both of them, this time. 

Jim jerked as he had received an electric shock, and he dimly heard Blair gasp along with him. For a moment, he thought he couldn't breathe anymore, while he felt the oddest sensation traveling all along his nerves ending, like the brush of a feather. Like the stroke of silk. 

Then the feeling intensified, became warmth, a tingle of energy that seemed to come from his spine and radiated in his members. At the same time, he dimly heard many disembodied voices whispering and repeating words that didn't make sense together, like when you're about to fall asleep and you already are half dreaming. Bits of scenes and strange colors briefly flashed before his eyes, too fast for him to remember or attempt to make sense of it. He tried to shake the sensation, to ground himself in the feeling of the fingers painfully digging into his shoulders. It's only then that he remembered how to breathe again. 

He looked into Blair's wild blue eyes and his friend stared back at him in equal shock. The energy was still traveling in his body, filling him with a sharp sense of excitement. It was like he was high on an adrenaline rush, heart pounding in his chest, painfully conscious of the fresh air rushing through his lungs. 

He realized that all his senses had suddenly come online and were working at their full capacity. The fabric of the cover was rubbing against his leg and he was strangely aware of the way it was catching in his body hair. The morning sounds of the whole building was assaulting his ears, and the sound of cars and klaxons outside. His bedroom was already very well-lit, but the light had taken of such an intensity that all the colors were vibrant and alive. All this information assaulted him at once. He should have been unable to handle it, but his guide was with him. He had no idea how Blair knew what was happening to him, but he seemed to understand what he needed, nonetheless. 

"Turn it down, Jim. Try to cut out what is going on outside the building. Then try to cut out was is going on in the other apartments. Then only focus on the loft. You can do it." 

Blair didn't really say it aloud, he'd silently articulated the words. Jim discovered that he could effortlessly follow the directives. It was easy to do because he was much more interested in focusing all of his senses on his guide. The energy pulsed in his body. Then he realized that part of the energy was transmitted to Blair because the young man was still touching him. He had also received a small part of it, because the panther had transmitted it to him. But not all of it. 

Jim raised his hand. He had no idea what he was going to do. Then his fingers touched Blair's throat and he let the palm of his hand rest on the pulse point. This time, he clearly felt the energy throbbing in his hand and the connection clicked into place. 

Blair cried out and his body jerked. He instinctively closed his eyes. Jim wasn't even worried. He didn't really know what was going on, but it was such an exhilarating feeling that he wasn't afraid. He patiently waited for Blair to look at him. 

He didn't have long to wait. Blair blinked several times and shook his head, apparently in an attempt to shake the strange feeling. Jim expected him to start asking questions, but the younger man remained mute, with only the complete bewildered expression on his face to betray his feelings. Then he smiled, and he seemed strangely happy. Jim had to admit that he had at least a quick recovery time. He was himself still shaking, though it was barely perceptible. 

He was staring at Blair in the circle of his arms, leaning against his chest, with only minimum clothing when another sudden realization hit Jim. The only thing that he wanted right then was to pounce on his guide and ravish him. 

Blair seemed to quickly catch the change of mood of his partner, and he threw his head back, delighted laughter shaking him. Jim knew he wasn't exactly subtle, probably staring at him with an almost predatory look. 

"Is there something you want, Jim?" the younger man asked with a grin. 

Blair quickly jumped out of the bed, away from Jim, apparently in a playful mood. He backed away until he was leaning against the wall, still chuckling. Jim took one look at the disheveled hair and the compact and firm body of his partner and rolled off the bed. He went to stand extremely close to the other man, close enough for Blair to feel the heat of this body. 

Blair stopped grinning, and his heartbeat sped up. 

They both remained standing there, bodies close but not touching, staring at each other. Suddenly, it became intense and serious. Jim's throat went dry and his breathing was difficult, while he watched Blair's pupils dilating and the play of emotion on his face. It was impossible to mistake the raw hunger he could read there, and he was sure the same emotion was mirrored on his face. Jim licked his lips, and Blair focused his eyes intently on the path his tongue had taken. The older man slowly extended a shaky hand toward his beloved and let it rest lightly against his cheek, feeling the early morning stubble and noticing the different texture of a man's skin. 

Blair took a shuddering breath, feeling all his nerves ending coming to life as tingles of energy ran though his body. He almost moaned aloud to urge Jim to do something more than this maddeningly light touch. Then the warm hand moved to his lips and traced the shape with the tips of his fingers, and Blair had to shut his eyes to protect himself from the sight of his friend, looking so concentrated on this tiny contact. The touch became more insistent, the fingers caressing the full mouth. 

Blair couldn't take it anymore and he blindly sought the other man's mouth with his own, the hand curling at the back of his neck supporting him and guiding him at the same time. Jim had a satisfied sigh when Blair's taste exploded in his mouth, and then the tentative gestures were history. He plunged his tongue beyond the slightly parted lips, his hands tangling in the long curly hair, holding the head in just the right position to better possess that warm cavern. He dimly heard Blair's little cry of surprise and pleasure, and then strong hands grasped at his shoulder, pulling him closer. The full body contact was like another electric shock to both of them, and Blair urgently wrapped his arms around his waist. 

Jim's tongue explored the warm opening and he let it play with Blair's tongue, dimly aware of the sudden difficulty to breathe, but not caring. He drew the warm body even closer to him, his hands running up and down the strong back and massaging the neck. Blair parted his legs and encouraged Jim to stand between them, and he shivered when he felt the hardness pressing against his own. When they finally parted to breathe, Blair had both his legs wrapped around Jim's waist, who was supporting him with his hands firmly grasping his buttocks. 

"Jim, please," Blair moaned somewhat incoherently, not even really knowing what he was asking for. 

Jim seemed to know anyway. He only had a few steps to take before he put him on the bed, and silently encouraging him to lie down with both his hands pressing on Blair's shoulder. The younger man clung to him and pulled him along with him, and they both sighed with satisfaction when Jim covered him with his body, pressing him to the mattress with his weight. 

Jim dove back to Blair's mouth and they both instinctively started moving against each other. The friction of their boxers against their hard members was deliciously frustrating, and Blair frantically tugged down the underwear, taking advantage of the fact that Jim had shifted to let his elbows support most of his weight. Blair lifted his hips to allow him to do the same. 

Jim closed his eyes when he lowered himself back on the body of his lover. The contact of skin against skin was overwhelming, the wild curls brushing against his face, the warmth radiating from the younger man. He rubbed himself against the dense chest hair, and he shuddered when the contact stimulated his nipples. Blair suddenly pushed against him and made him lie down beside him. Then he lowered his head and went directly to his already hard and erect nipples. Jim could only cry out when he felt the hot breath and the moisture of a rasp tongue against his chest, and he held Blair's head closer to him. 

At the same time, one of his hands traveled downward on Blair's body, tracing the planes of the chest, and went directly to the prize that was awaiting him. He teased the curly hair at the base of the younger man's erection, and Blair suddenly let go of him, panting, and raised his head to look at him with wild eyes. The pupils were so dilated that there was only a tiny circle of blue left. Jim took one look at him, pushed him flat on his back, and engulfed him in his mouth. It wasn't something he had ever pictured himself doing to another man, but he so badly wanted the taste of his guide and to give him pleasure. 

Blair screamed when he felt the hot mouth on his cock. He arched his back and grasped the covers with both hands. Jim was fascinated by the warmth that was emanating from him, almost burning the inside of his mouth. He traced one vein with the tip of his tongue, then took as much in his mouth as he could, delicately sucking. He gripped the base with one hand and held a squirming anthropologist down on the bed with his other. 

The stimulation was too much for Blair, and the simple thought that the big, stoic Sentinel was doing this to him undid him. An incredible feeling of pleasure washed over him and seemed to spread to his whole body, and he came without a word or warning. For a moment, he tightly shut his eyes and completely lost control, his shoulders coming off the bed. The sound of his heartbeat was all he could hear, and he thought he was simply going to faint. He fell back on the mattress and realized that Jim had let go of him and was looking at him with his eyes full of lust, his breathing ragged and loud in the silence. In an ultimate effort, he blindly reached out and grasped Jim's erection. It was enough to send his lover over the edge at well, he was so close just from watching Blair come. 

Afterward, they held on to each other for dear life, panting quietly. After a while, their breathing evened and they simply laid quietly in each other's arm, slowly dozing off. They would not wake up until much later in the afternoon, and only because the need for food would be too strong. They would never really remember it, but they both dreamed of a jungle and of the ruins of a temple. They dreamed of a panther who was chasing butterflies and playing around with them. They dreamed of a jungle that would never exist, because there was no fight for survival there, and no predators. They were both there, Guide and Sentinel, at peace because they had finally found their true home in each other's arms and hearts. But they would never fully remember it. 

FIN 


End file.
